Think that redesigning your website is just like putting a fresh coat of paint on the same old house?
Think again.
When you redesign your website, you’re doing more than just making the “face” of your website look better. Instead, it’s an opportunity to check everything—from the foundation to the roof—and make it both look and work better for your law firm.
One of our clients is a great example of how much a redesign can really do to improve performance. Their law firm had been maintaining a great website for years, but time was catching up with them. Their old website was starting to look old, and it was so outdated that it limited what they could do with their marketing.
To remedy the situation, they signed up for a fresh website redesign with my team—and the results of that redesign put them right on the mark for their next big wins.
Big Win 1: More Website Traffic
No matter how pretty it is on the surface, a website is only as good as the code it runs on—and Web technology changes fast. A website built even just two or three years ago can lag behind newer sites. And two or three years is also long enough for a website to start to look dated to visitors.
Websites that run on aging code or adhere to outdated web standards tend to get left behind in traffic and rankings. So, naturally, the age of a website’s foundation is one of the first things we look at when we start a redesign for a law firm.
In this case, the client had an older site that had previously performed well for them. The problem was that the outdated code it was built on had drifted away from current best practices over time and was limiting some key functionality. We rebuilt the backend of their website to more modern standards, and the client got big results for the effort.
After their newly designed website went live, their website traffic increased by 54%.
The upgrade of the backend of their website wasn’t the sole factor pushing the jump in the number of people visiting their site, but we can say that it was the biggest and most concrete contributing factor.
The upgraded site was faster and more efficient than their old site, and the updated code was easier for search engines to understand and digest. The website was upgraded to meet modern best practices, from top to bottom. All those factors are powerful ranking signals for search engines, increasing the likelihood that the site will appear in relevant searches.
In short, because of the redesign, more searchers saw results from the client’s site in search results and chose to click through.
Big Win 2: Improved Mobile Experience
More people use mobile devices to search for services and businesses than ever before, and the numbers keep growing every year. The client’s old site had become a little clunky and awkward to use on a phone or tablet, and we saw an opportunity to provide a much better user experience for mobile users in the redesign. The new design and code erased some of the limitations of the old site and gave the client a hugely important “mobile-friendly” upgrade.
My team planned and executed the client’s new design with a “mobile-first” mindset. It was built to automatically and responsively serve a great experience to all users, regardless of the device they use to visit the site. Mobile users can seamlessly click through to a site that is easy to read, navigate, browse, and use. The new design also prioritizes conversion elements, like contact forms and call-to-action buttons, that are convenient for mobile users.
The upgrade in the mobile user experience resulted in an overall 73% increase in mobile conversions on the client’s website. Organic conversions for mobile traffic increased by 70%, while PPC conversions for mobile traffic increased an impressive 167%.
Additionally, we saw a 9% increase in pages viewed per session for mobile users and a 12% increase in mobile session duration. Those numbers mean that mobile visitors are now spending more time browsing through the client’s site, and they’re digging deeper when they visit.
The “mobile-first” design worked to improve conversions and engagement because it provides a much better user experience for mobile users. It makes it easier for them to use the site, browse pages, and get the information they need. It offers an entirely convenient experience for them, with no effort required on their part. They can just concentrate on getting the answers and help they need.
Overall, these numbers are compelling proof that the user experience—especially the mobile user experience—matters!
Big Win 3: More Conversions and Leads
Along with mobile improvements, my team wanted to build a bigger, better “conversion focus” into the overall redesign of the site. The panel-style layout presents key information on the homepage that is easy to skim for the most relevant information. Customized buttons lead interested visitors to the firm’s different practice areas, where they are met with more targeted answers, landing pages, and calls to action. The firm’s contact information is clearly displayed, and users have the option to contact the firm by live chat, contact form, or phone—whatever is most convenient.
The magic of the new design is that it essentially lets visitors funnel themselves toward the right information. Then, it shows them how to take action and puts convenient options right at their fingertips.
With the conversion-focused elements of the redesign in place, the client saw a 33% increase in on-site conversions.
Overall organic conversions increased 35%, while overall PPC conversions increased 133%. There was also a 22% increase in conversions from visitors local to the law firm.
Again, the redesign worked to improve overall conversions because it prioritizes conversion in the design, provides an excellent user experience, and incorporates compelling prompts to interaction. It’s a smooth journey from visitor to lead!
Teach Your Old Website Some New Tricks
A fresh design can do a lot for the performance of your website and its ability to bring you new clients and cases. When a redesign is supported by SEO and other marketing efforts, like it was for this client, the wins get even bigger.
The most important takeaway from this example is that best practices change over time. Yesterday’s code won’t be fast enough for tomorrow, and you have to make an effort to keep up with the pack.
Older sites are often ill-equipped to meet the expectations of a modern, mobile audience—and sometimes you have to make an upgrade so you can take advantage of what works best now. Regularly redesigning your website means that you stay fast, stay efficient, and keep serving a great experience to your potential clients.
Are You A Lawyer Or podiatrist Who Needs To Get More Clients?
If you've been trying to get more leads, more clients or patients, and you're not sure how to get there, Foster Web Marketing is here to help. Contact us online or call our office directly at 866.497.6199 to schedule your free consultation. We have been helping clients throughout the United States and internationally since 1998 and are confident we can help you not only reach, but exceed your goals.
